512 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



cannot be buy. So my friend here, M onsieur Cataline, who have collected all curi- 

 ositfea de8 pays eauvages, avait made strong appliqu6 to me pour for to get one of 

 dese medicine-bags for his collection curieux, et I had, pour moi-mSme, la curiosity 

 extreme pour for to see des quelques choses ces ^trauges looking tings was compos6- 



"I had learn much of dese strange custom, and I know wen de Ingin die his med- 

 icine-bags is buried wis him. 



" Oui, monsieur, so it never cau be got by any boday. Bien. I hap to tink one day 

 wen we was live in de mous of Yellowstone, now is time, and I avait said to Monsieur 

 Cataline, que pensez vous ? Kon-te-ivonda (un des chefs du) (pardon, one of de chiefs 

 of de Knisteneux) has die to-day. II avait une medicine-bag magnifique, et extrg- 

 mement curieux ; il est compost d'un, it is made (pardon, si vous plait) of de wite 

 wolfskin, ornement et stuff wid tousand tings wich we shall see, ha? Good luck! 

 Suppose, Monsieur Cataline, I have seen him just now. I av see de medicine-bag laid 

 on his breast avec his hands crossed ovare it. Que pensez vous ? I can get him to- 

 night, ha ? If you will keep him, if you shall not tell, ha ? 'Tis no harm ; 'tis no 

 steal ; he is dead, ha ? Well, you shall see. But would you not be afraid, Ba'tiste 

 (said Monsieur Cataline), to take from dis poor fellow his medicines (or mysteries) on 

 which he has rest all his hopes in dis world, and de world to come ? Pardon, je n'ai 

 pas peur ; non, monsieur, ne rien de pour. I nevare saw ghost ; I haf^e not fear, mais, 

 suppose it is not right, exact ; but I have grand disposition pour for to oblige my friend, 

 et le curiosite moi-meme, pour to see wat it is made of. Suppose to-night I shall go, 

 ha ? 'Well, Ba'tiste, I have no objection (said Monsieur Cataline) if your heart does 

 not fail you, for I will be very glad to get him, and will make you a handsome present 

 for it ; but I think it will be a cold and gloomy kind of busin ess.' Nevare mind, Mon- 

 sieur Cataline (I said), provide he is well dead, perfect dead ! Well, I had see Ips 

 Knisteneux when dey ave bury de chap. I ave watch close, and I ave see how de 

 medicine-bags was put. It was fix pretty tight by some cord around his bellay, and 

 den some skins was wrap many times around him. He was put down in de hole dug 

 for him, and some flat stones and some little dirt was laid on him, only till next day, 

 wen some grand ceremonays was to be perform ovare him, and'den de hole was to be 

 fill up. Now was de only time possible for de medicine-bag, ha? I ave very pretty 

 little wife at dat times, Assinneboin squaw, and we sleep in one of de stores inside of 

 de fort, de trade-house, you know, ha ? 



" So you may siippose I was all de day perplex to know how I should go ; somebody 

 may watch! siippose he may not be dead ! not quite dead, ha? Nevare mind, le jour was 

 bien long, et le nuit dismal, dismal, oh, by gar it was dismal! plien, plien (x^ardon) 

 full of apprehension, mais sans peur, je n'avais pas peur! So, some time aftere mid- 

 nights, wen it was 'bout right time pour go, I made start, very light, so my wife must 

 not wake. Oh, diable I'imagination ! quel solitude ! well, I have go very well yet, I 

 am pass de door, and I am pass de gate, and I am at lengts arrive at de grave ! sup- 

 pose, 'now, Ba'tiste, courage, courage ! now is de times come.' Well, supjjose, I am not 

 fraid of dead man, mais, perha]5s, dese medicine-bag is give by the Grande Esprit to 

 de Ingun for someting? possibe! I will let him keep it. I shall go back ! No, Mon- 

 sieur Cataline will laughs at me. I must have him, ma foi, mon courage! so I climb 

 down very careful into de grave ; mais, as I d68ceud my heart rise up into my mouse ! 

 Oh, mon Dieu ! courage, Ba'tiste, courage ! ce n'est pas I'homme dat I fear, mais le 

 medicine, le medicine. So den I ave lift out de large stones, I ave put out my head 

 in de dark, and I ave look all de contrg round ; ne personne, ne personne — no bod6 in 

 sight ! Well, I ave got softly down on my knees ovare him (oh, courage ! courage ! 

 oui), and wen I ave unwrap de robe, I ave all the time say, ' pardon, courage! i^ardon, 

 courage ! ' untill I ad got de skins all off de bod6. I ave den take hold of de cord to 

 untie ; mais ; (dans I'iustant) ! ! two cold hands seize me by de wrists ! and I was just 

 dead — I was petrifact in one instant. Oh, Saint Esprit ! I could just see in de dark 

 two eyes glaring like fire sur upon me and den (oh, eugh !) it spoke to me, ' Who 

 are you?' (Sacr6, vengeance! it will not do to deceive him, no), 'I am Ba'tiste, poor 



